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Post-Hurricane Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions


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Q: My house got flooded. What should I do with my food?contact with flood water. IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!!! Do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth, and similar containers that have been water damaged. Discard food and beverage containers with screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops, and home canned foods, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected. Undamaged, commercially-prepared foods in all-metal cans can be saved if you remove the labels, thoroughly wash the cans, rinse them, and then disinfect them with a sanitizing solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of potable water. Finally, re-label containers that had the labels removed, including the expiration date, with a marker. Continue reading Post-Hurricane Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions